The Motivated Classroom

Two-day in-person workshop

Two-day in-person workshop on Teaching with CI and TPRS co-created stories

Two day, in-person, live workshop on the motivational impact of teaching languages through compelling, comprehensible inputs (CI) and how to teach languages using co-created TPRS stories.

Structure:

Availability:

  • This next in-person two-day workshop is offered in conjuction with Dynamic Language Learning in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
  • The Amsterdam workshop in September 2024 is now fully booked
  • If you are interested in joining, please contact info@dynamiclanguagelearning.com as soon as possible. We may be able to use a bigger room if there are more people who want to register.
workshop leader

Format and dates:

  • The in-person, two-day, workshop will be delivered on site in Amsterdam, The Netherlands on:
    • Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 September 2024

Time:

  • The professional development training course will take place from 09:00-16:00 each day.
  • The sessions will not be recorded. This is an in-person workshop so it will not be made available online.

Hello!

i’m Dr. Liam Printer

Dr. Liam Printer hosts The Motivated Classroom podcast and is currently an Instructional Coach at the International School of Lausanne in Switzerland, where he works with teachers to improve their practice. Prior to this role, Liam was the Leader of Pedagogical Innovation and Approaches to Learning at the school. Liam has been a teacher of additional languages for the past 16 years. He currently teaches Spanish and English in the middle and high school as part of the International Baccalaureate.

personal trainer

His Motivated Classroom podcast was listed in the Top 5% of all downloaded podcasts worldwide in 2022 with over 400,000 listens to date. His Doctorate in Education focussed on motivation and teaching languages through storytelling and using comprehensible input approaches to learnin. His research has been published in various peer reviewed journals and he also lectures on the Post-graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) course with the University of Durham and the International School of Geneva. Liam has been invited as the Keynote speaker at international language teaching conferences in the UK, Ireland, France, Australia and New Zealand and continues to work with a wide range of schools and districts around the world on raising motivation in the language classroom.

What will I be learning?

  • The workshop provides an in-depth introduction to CI strategies, TPRS, teaching with co-created stories and other active learning techniques for your classroom
  • Whilst the course also provides a brief overview of the theory and research behind teaching with a CI approach, it principally revolves around zero-prep, practical, classroom strategies designed to provide rich, compelling, comprehensible inputs (CI) that you can implement right away. 
  • We will go through some of my favourite, daily, CI activities stemming from research based evidence around intrinsic motivation and developing communication. 
  • A key goal of this workshop is to provide participants with strategies and approaches that will raise engagement and motivation in your classes resulting in quicker acquisition of the language through intent listening and reading. 
  • For parts of the day you will be ‘students’ in my class, acquiring a language naturally through the eyes of a learner using CI based approaches. 
  • At the end of the workshop, participants will have the tools and resources to try out the following techniques in their classrooms:
language learning
  • Special person interviews
  • Creating an invisible character
  • Movie-Talk and Clip-Chat 
  • Picture-Talk 
  • Building a co-created TPRS story (Day Two)

What is ‘teaching with CI’?

  • CI stands for ‘comprehensible input’. After over 40 years of research, it is widely accepted by language acquisition scholars that humans ‘acquire’ languages implicitly and naturally through receiving lots of rich, interesting and comprehensible inputs.

  • Teaching with a CI based approach involves helping learners to acquire language naturally by listening and reading. It focuses primarily on establishing meaning rather than on grammatical accuracy and form.
  • While communication and understanding is the central focus, grammar instruction is still present in the CI classroom but it is minimised as the goal is to help students to acquire the language rather than learn about the language. 
  • A CI approach includes lots of learner autonomy; subtly moving the focus towards the learner, their interests, their passions and helping them to communicate what they want to communicate rather than what the textbook tells us they should say. 
  • The CI based classroom uses research based strategies and techniques to talk with the students rather than talk at the students.
 
  • CI based approaches have been shown in research to be highly motivating and engaging, resulting in higher retention and uptake of languages.

How is the course structured?

Day 1:

Focuses on the theory and research behind teaching with compelling, comprehensible input

  • The first day will give an overview of Teaching with CI as well as an introduction to motivational strategies for the language classroom.

Day 2:

After the overview of CI and grounding in motivational strategies during day 1, day 2 focuses entirely on building a co-created TPRS story. 

  • Participants will be part of “my class” and will experience the magic of co-creating a story together as students.

Who is this course aimed at?

  • The 2-day, in-person, live workshop with Dr. Liam Printer focuses on ‘Teaching with CI’ and aimed at both new and experienced language acquisition teachers of additional languages.  
  • It is principally aimed at those teachers who have heard about the Comprehensible Input (CI) approach and want to learn more and see it in action; as well as those who are new to CI or consider themselves ‘Novice CI teachers’. 
  • I try to ensure there is something for everyone in the course through collecting pre-course feedback and planning the sessions accordingly. 
  • A key focus of this workshop is giving teachers the tools to be able to provide content to learners which is both comprehensible and compelling.

Read what previous attendees of the in-person Motivated Classroom workshop said here:

Play Video

Great fun and practical! So inclusive and Liam’s genuine enthusiasm and passion for teaching languages comes through at every stage. He makes what he does seem easy but it takes practice! We were given that opportunity in the class. I’m trying ‘star of the week’ now this week.It was one of the best workshops I’ve ever done….and I’m teaching 24 years!!

Sharon, French teacher, Ireland.

The workshop was a well planned, hands on experience. It was a good reminder of the significance of comprehensible inputs and how intrinsic motivation impacts learning and growth. Liam’s passion and thoroughness about his topic was very obvious in each session and to hold participants’ attention for 2 full days in a language some of us might not speak says a lot about Liam’s well thought out approach, and his ability to actively engage his audience. I highly recommend his workshops!

Shafali, English teacher, India.

This has been one of the best workshops I have ever attended. Liam kept us all engaged, we all had fun, and I know we all left highly motivated and energized to finish the year strong. All sessions were very well organized, did not waste a minute of our time, and it was all hands on. It is truly a great workshop, and I know his students are very lucky!

Luisa, Spanish teacher, Spain.

It was truly motivating and engaging. In an extremely short amount of time, we learned many skills and strategies. The power of story telling, role playing, and assigning jobs included everyone. We had to engage with our bodies and minds. The visuals and retrieval charts were great tools. Every second counted!. There were many applications even if you were not purely a language teacher. A ‘fenomenal’ amount of learning in such a short time!

Nira, Grade 3 teacher, India.

I will say: DO meet your heroes! Honestly, as a big big fan of the podcast, which has taught me so much, I was in my absolute element attending this workshop. It was wonderful to see the ideas discussed therein put into action! I’d love to go to another event going further and deeper with CI. Liam is just as kind and dynamic as he comes across on the podcast. I have no problem admitting I was actually a little teary when M. (teacher on the course) crushed it at the end.

Ellen, English teacher, France.

This two day, in person workshop with Liam was truly mind blowing. If you think you are providing your students a lot if input, try spending a few hours with Liam and you will realize you can do much more ! Liam has a way of making things simple and easy that gave us all the confidence to try his teaching techniques in our classrooms. It doesn’t matter what language you teach, or what age group, this is totally adaptable.

Aurélie, French teacher, Switzerland.

I came away from Liam’s workshop buzzing with new ideas and with an appreciation of truly inspirational language teaching. Fun filled activities backed up by rigorous research gave an excellent insight into his motivational and rewarding approach to language acquisition.

Sean, French & Spanish teacher, Ireland

Clear concise practical strategies for implementing CI. Engaging and motivating content for us as teachers and for the students. Anybody teaching languages to students from early years to higher secondary should attend. I left feeling excited and eager to implement some strategies. It has renewed my passion for teaching English.

Ciara, ESL teacher, Switzerland.

How much does it cost?

The plan is to have separate rates, depending on your circumstances:

  • €390 per person [Until 5 July 2024]
  • €430 per person [From 6 July 2024]
  • Reduced course fees are available for people who are unemployed, in a teacher training course or who are patrons of the podcast.

What is included in the course fee?

Included in the course fee:

  • Two full days of in-person, professional development workshops with Dr. Liam Printer.
  • A total of 14 hours face-to-face CPD points.​
  • Tea and coffee on both days.
  • A wine and soft drink reception after the course on Day 1. 
  • Lunch on both days.
  • A certificate of attendance from Dynamic Language Learning, Amsterdam with hours stated for CPD points.
  • Pre-course questionnaire analysis.
  • Post-course e-mail support.
  • Post-course Q&A video from Liam.
  • All presentations, handouts and resources will be provided digitally.

5% of every booking fee goes directly towards the following environmental project:

  • The Rainforest Trust environmental protection project to help save our planet from destruction.

What is not​ included in the course fee?

Not included in the course fee:

  • Travel and accommodation costs.​
  • An optional dinner out on Friday night.

How do I sign-up?

  • Places are limited and are allocated on a first come first served basis.
  • The Amsterdam workshop in September 2024 is now fully booked
  • If you are interested in joining, please contact info@dynamiclanguagelearning.com as soon as possible. We may be able to use a bigger room if there are more people who want to register.

Group bookings / Purchase orders:

  • If you require a purchase order for your school or a pro-forma invoice, please contact info@dynamiclanguagelearning.com with the details required. 
  • Places are not secure until the payment has been made.

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